Gino Gradkowski (born November 5, 1988) is a former
American football
American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team with ...
center
Center or centre may refer to:
Mathematics
*Center (geometry), the middle of an object
* Center (algebra), used in various contexts
** Center (group theory)
** Center (ring theory)
* Graph center, the set of all vertices of minimum eccentrici ...
. He played
college football
College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States.
Unlike most ...
at the
University of Delaware
The University of Delaware (colloquially UD or Delaware) is a public land-grant research university located in Newark, Delaware. UD is the largest university in Delaware. It offers three associate's programs, 148 bachelor's programs, 121 mas ...
. He was drafted by the
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore, Maryland. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. The team plays its ...
in the fourth round of the
2012 NFL Draft
The 2012 NFL draft was the 77th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible American football players for their rosters. The draft, which is officially called the "NFL Player Selection Meeting", was held ...
.
College career
Gradkowski played
college football
College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States.
Unlike most ...
as a guard and a center. He began his career playing for
West Virginia University
West Virginia University (WVU) is a public land-grant research university with its main campus in Morgantown, West Virginia. Its other campuses are those of the West Virginia University Institute of Technology in Beckley, Potomac State College ...
. He later transferred to the
University of Delaware
The University of Delaware (colloquially UD or Delaware) is a public land-grant research university located in Newark, Delaware. UD is the largest university in Delaware. It offers three associate's programs, 148 bachelor's programs, 121 mas ...
. He started all fifteen games as a junior.
Professional career
Baltimore Ravens
Gradkowski was drafted in the 4th round (98th overall) of the
2012 NFL Draft
The 2012 NFL draft was the 77th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible American football players for their rosters. The draft, which is officially called the "NFL Player Selection Meeting", was held ...
by the
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore, Maryland. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. The team plays its ...
. In his first season with the team, the Ravens won
Super Bowl XLVII
Super Bowl XLVII was an American football game between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Baltimore Ravens and the National Football Conference (NFC) champion San Francisco 49ers to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion ...
. The game's
MVP
In team sports, a most valuable player award, abbreviated 'MVP award', is an honor typically bestowed upon an individual (or individuals, in the instance of a tie) whose individual performance is the greatest in an entire league, for a particu ...
was
Joe Flacco
Joseph Vincent Flacco (born January 16, 1985) is an American football quarterback for the New York Jets of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Delaware after transferring from Pittsburgh and was drafted by the Baltim ...
, who was also a transfer to the Delaware Blue Hens. With the retirement of
Matt Birk
Matthew Robert Birk (born July 23, 1976) is a former American football center who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 14 seasons. He spent most of his professional career playing for the Minnesota Vikings. He was the Republican nom ...
following the
2012 season, Gradkowski became the starting center for the Ravens.
Denver Broncos
Gradkowski was traded to the
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football franchise based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The team is headquart ...
on April 1, 2015, for draft picks. He was waived by the Broncos on September 6.
Atlanta Falcons
Gradkowski was picked up off waivers by the
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. The Falcons joined th ...
on September 7, 2015.
Carolina Panthers
On March 10, 2016, Gradkowski signed a three-year, $3.15 million free agent contract with the
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL), as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. T ...
. He also received a $400,000 signing bonus with $450,000 guaranteed. With Pro Bowler
Ryan Kalil
Ryan Joseph Kalil (born March 29, 1985) is an American film and television producer and former NFL center. He played college football at USC, where he was a member of two national championship teams, was named a first-team All-American, and won ...
starting at center, Gradkowski would act as the backup center and guard. When Kalil left with a shoulder injury in Week 11, Gradkowski became the starting center the next week before suffering a knee injury later that game. Both Gradkowski and Kalil were placed on injured reserve on November 29, 2016.
On September 2, 2017, Gradkowski was placed on injured reserve. He was released on September 8, 2017.
New York Jets
On August 15, 2018, Gradkowski signed with the
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The J ...
. He was released on August 31, 2018.
Denver Broncos (second stint)
On November 12, 2018, Gradkowski signed with the Denver Broncos following an injury to
Matt Paradis
Matt Paradis (born October 12, 1989) is an American football center who is a free agent. He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the sixth round of the 2014 NFL Draft. He played college football at Boise State.
Professional career
Paradis wa ...
.
Personal life
Gradkowski is the younger brother of former
NFL
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the major ...
quarterback
The quarterback (commonly abbreviated "QB"), colloquially known as the "signal caller", is a position in gridiron football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive platoon and mostly line up directly behind the offensive line. In modern Ame ...
Bruce Gradkowski
Bruce Raymond Gradkowski (born January 27, 1983) is a former American football quarterback and current offensive coordinator for the St. Louis BattleHawks. He played college football at Toledo. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the ...
.
References
External links
Delaware Blue Hens bioBaltimore Ravens bioDenver Broncos bioAtlanta Falcons bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gradkowski, Gino
1988 births
Living people
American football centers
American football offensive guards
American people of Italian descent
American people of Polish descent
Atlanta Falcons players
Baltimore Ravens players
Carolina Panthers players
Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens football players
Denver Broncos players
New York Jets players
Players of American football from Pittsburgh
West Virginia Mountaineers football players